A demolition claw such as described in U.S. RE35,432 of LaBounty has a support carrying a heavy-duty pivot pin on which two massive jaws are mounted. Respective actuators are braced between the arms and the support for pivoting the jaws so that they can grasp and even cut through a workpiece. Typically one of the jaws is formed as two fixed-together and similar parts that are axially spaced and that axially flank the other jaw, 80 that when the claw is closed the other jaw actually fits axially in the one jaw.
The problem with this structure is that it is frequently necessary to take the demolition claw off the machine and replace it with another demolition claw suitable for other materials, or with another tool altogether. Once the pivot pin is pulled, the claw can typically be slipped out of the support relatively easily. Once thus removed, however, the two jaws can separate from each other. Keeping track of the jaw when its parts are separated is difficult, and reinstalling it in the arm of the equipment requires that the two jaws be fitted together and then fitted to the arm.